BSc Bioprocessing of New Medicines (Business and Management)

UCAS Code: CN72

This programme is designed to give you a good grounding in both the basic science of processing and of the management of new emerging technologies in healthcare. You will develop an understanding of the latest biomedical and diagnostic advances, together with the business skills necessary for health and clinical research management.

The
requirement for foreign modern languages is under review with its no longer
being an admission prerequisite.

Bioprocessing of New Medicines (Business and Management) BSc

Entry requirements

A Levels

Grades

A*AA-AAA

Subjects

Biology, Chemistry or Physics required.

GCSEs

English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 5. For UK-based students, a grade C or 5 or equivalent in a foreign language (other than Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew or Latin) is required. UCL provides opportunities to meet the foreign language requirement following enrolment, further details at: www.ucl.ac.uk/ug-reqs

IB Diploma

Points

38-39

Subjects

A total of 18-19 points in three higher level subjects including one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics, with no score below 5.

UK applicants qualifications

For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:

Equivalent qualification

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

D2,D3,D3 - D3,D3,D3 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects, including one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics.

A1AA-AAA at Advanced Highers (or A1A at Advanced Higher and AAA at Higher - AA at Advanced Higher and AAA at Higher), including one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics at Advanced Higher.

International applications

In addition to A level and International Baccalaureate, UCL considers a wide range of international qualifications for entry to its undergraduate degree programmes.

Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates

The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPCs) are intensive one-year foundation courses for international students of high academic potential who are aiming to gain access to undergraduate degree programmes at UCL and other top UK universities.

Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.

English language requirements

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency. Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual courses, normally valued at 0.5 or 1.0 credits, adding up to a total of 4.0 credits for the year. Courses are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional courses varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 1.0 credit is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

* Options can vary year-to-year depending on factors such as
timetable clashes, oversubscription or prerequisites, for example.

This BSc is a truly interdisciplinary programme which draws on the knowledge of experts from across UCL in science and engineering, management and humanities.

The department has the most modern and comprehensive biochemical engineering facilities of any university in the world. Constructed at a cost of £30 million, they attract leading industrial competitors.

Our teaching is designed to help you both to work at a detailed analytical level, and to see the bigger picture in terms of addressing environmental and ethical issues.

We have been pioneers in providing our undergraduates with training to help them understand the business environment in which life science industries operate, thus better preparing you for your future career.

In the first year, you will study the basics of how a drug
is created, made at scale and what the challenges of creating new
medicines are. You will also study the prerequisite management
principles in running an organisation and dealing with the accounts, as
well as the fundamentals of data management.

In year two, you
will study the internal and external factors that govern pharmaceuticals
production, with emphasis on clinical needs and their constraints. A
wide spectrum of knowledge is encompassed from statistical analysis to
legal and ethical concerns, together with an understanding of the role
of the internet in globalisation and access to medicines.

The third year addresses a more
in-depth understanding of global practices, business planning and the
feasibility and economics of creating therapeutics and vaccines in both
developed as well as developing markets. You will also undertake an
independent research project within the context of globalisation of
health.

Your learning

You will be taught using a combination of lectures,
case studies, team-based projects and experiments. Leading
industrialists and researchers regularly visit the department to provide
guest lectures. Case studies are conducted in small teams, and your
personal and departmental tutors are available to offer individual
support.

Assessment

Bioprocessing of New Medicines (Business and Management) BSc

Careers

The core science, engineering, business and leadership skills that you acquire on the programme will provide you with excellent and diverse career prospects. In addition to your core subject knowledge, the programme will provide you with skills such as innovative thinking, team-working and computing.

The excitement of advances towards new medicines and greener sustainable processes is creating an ever-growing need for biochemical engineering graduates in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, biofuels, chemical, environment and food industries.

You may be based in a university, or elect to work in company research and development activity that is involved in the design of facilities and the creation of safe materials. The programme teaches skills in systematic thinking and precise calculation, leading some graduates to enter the financial sector (particularly those companies which invest in healthcare).

Destinations

First career destinations of recent graduates (2013-2015) of this programme include:

Administrator, LSE (The London School of Economics and Political Science)

MRes in Biomedicine, UCL

Data taken from the 'Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education' survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013-2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.

Bioprocessing of New Medicines (Business and Management) BSc

Application and next steps

Your application

In addition to academic requirements, we will use your application to assess your motivation for studying bioprocessing. We will be seeking applicants committed to studying at the highest level, who are eager and able to rise to the challenges presented both by the programme and by a career in the discipline.

How to apply

Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.

Selection

If we are considering making you an offer, and you live in the UK, you will be invited to an applicant open day. Your visit will provide an excellent opportunity to examine the departmental facilities before making a final decision.

If you live outside the UK, or travel distance is a problem, we will arrange for a telephone or online (VoIP) chat to assist with any questions you may have.

We are happy to consider your application if you wish to defer entry and take a gap year before taking up your place on the programme, especially if you have constructive plans for your time. The Year in Industry scheme provides suitably qualified students with work placements, allowing them to gain relevant work experience whilst earning money.

Syed Reza

This degree is a combination of biochemical engineering and the business and management of the industry; I'll be studying some law and economics and Spanish too. There is a lot of disease in the world, populations are getting larger and we need to find innovative ways to solve problems, biochemical engineers are key to the process, say, by designing bioreactors.

We learn in a research environment, if I go to a lecture to learn a process we have scientists across the corridor who are actually doing applying those processes in a research setting. It's literally happening right next door.

After I graduate I want to either want to work in the supplement industry or go into management consultancy. I am personally very interested in exercise supplements but if I go into management consultancy I can take my degree and my skills and apply them to solving global problems.

Fees and funding

Fees

UK/EU students

£9,250 (2018/19)

Overseas students

£25,960 (2018/19)

Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.

Funding

Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.

Several major international companies have established a Trust Fund with the department. This fund provides five bursaries, each worth at least £1,500, which are open to all applicants of this programme.

Departmental scholarships

The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.